The act of Congress was correctly interpreted by the Circuit Court. That the amounts paid by the bank to the State in the years 1866, 1867, 1868 and 1870 came from dividends declared by it to be due and payable to stockholders, as part of its earnings, income or gains, is entirely clear. Because they were from dividends, so declared, the bank recognized its obligation to pay, and did pay, the taxes assessed by the State upon shares owned by stockholders. It was not required to retain the amount of taxes due the State except from "dividends belonging to such stockholders." The taxes constituted a claim against stockholders only, and the bank was made simply an agent to collect them for the State. Their retention by the bank out of dividends declared due to stockholders was a convenient mode adopted by the State to collect its taxes. The circuit judge well said that, in legal effect, the retaining by the bank of the amount of the taxes assessed against stockholders was the same as if it had paid the whole dividend to stockholders, and the latter had handed back the
This is an end of this case, unless, as contended, the embezzlement of the bank's cashier, whereby it was led to believe that its profits were larger than they actually were, and whereby it was induced to distribute among its stockholders and add to its surplus or contingent funds larger sums than were actually earned, and to make erroneous returns of dividends from earnings and of additions to surplus, constitutes a defence to the action. We are of opinion that the liability of the bank, under section 120, depends solely upon the questions whether dividends were, in fact, declared due and payable to stockholders from its earnings, income or gains, and whether undistributed sums were, in fact, made or added to its surplus or contingent fund. Whether or not such dividends should be declared, or such additions made, was for the bank to determine. In view of the language and object of the statute, we hold that, if the declarations or additions were not recalled or rescinded before the time when it became the duty of the bank to make its returns to the assessor, the question whether or not, for the purposes of taxation by the United States, dividends had been declared due to stockholders, or additions made to surplus or contingent funds, was closed, and the liability of the bank for the tax of five per cent on such dividends or additions attached. If the bank, in good faith and by mistake, made a declaration of dividends, or an addition to its surplus or contingent funds when it was not in a condition to do so, the mistake cannot be corrected by the courts in an action brought to recover the tax. Relief must come from another branch of the government.
In Bailey v. Railroad Co., 106 U.S. 109, 113, 115, this court had occasion to construe section 122 of the above act of Congress, providing that "any railroad, canal, turnpike, canal navigation or slack-water company, indebted for any money for which bonds or other evidences of indebtedness have been
Judgment affirmed.
MR. JUSTICE FIELD dissented.
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